For people who are new to the world of points and the benefits of Amex cards, a common question asked is where can I use American Express cards? Following on from that, a Point Hacks reader has also asked us a more detailed query:
“I see a lot of offers from American Express but I’m not sure that there are that many places I can actually use the card. How easy is it to meet minimum spend requirements with its more limited reach compared to Visa and Mastercard?“
We explore where you can use your American Express card within Australian in 2021, so you can make the most of your rewards.
Where is American Express accepted in Australia?
It is true that Visa and Mastercard are accepted at more merchants both in Australia and overseas. However, American Express has been expanding its footprint, with more than 100,000 participating businesses added over the last few years.
The following list of merchants that accept Amex cards is by no means exhaustive — search the full list for the latest results. Remember that there are also thousands of small businesses that accept American Express.
Where can I use Amex for big purchases?
- Airlines: Qantas, Virgin Australia, Jetstar, Tigerair, Air New Zealand, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Etihad, Expedia, Webjet
- Accommodation: Airbnb, Luxury Escapes, Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, Four Seasons, Shangri-La, Crown, Accor Hotels, Agoda
- Car hire: Hertz, Avis, Budget, Thrifty, Europcar
- Transport: SkyBus
- Educational institutions: The University of Sydney, UNSW, Griffith University, Macquarie University, UTS, Bond University, University of Southern Queensland, Moriah College
- Household goods: Bing Lee, Freedom, Harvey Norman, The Good Guys, Officeworks
- Electronics: Apple, Microsoft, Dell, Kogan
Where can I use American Express for shopping, subscriptions and bills?
- Supermarkets: Woolworths, Coles, Harris Farm Markets
- Bottle shops: Liquorland, Dan Murphy’s, First Choice Liquor, BWS
- Department stores: Myer, David Jones, Big W, Kmart, Target, Bunnings Warehouse
- Clothes retailers: The Iconic, Zara, Best & Less, Cotton On, Country Road, Espirit, Lowes, Rebel, Decathlon, H&M
- Utilities: Australia Post, City of Sydney, City of Perth, Cairns Regional Council, Central Coast Council, Randwick, Council, Whitsunday Regional Council, Lumo Energy
- Insurance: Allianz, Bupa, HCF, nib
- Fuel: BP, Shell Coles Express, and Ampol (being rebranded from Caltex starting late 2020)
- Entertainment: Hoyts, Event Cinemas, Dreamworld, Taronga Zoo, Ticketek, Ticketmaster, Village Cinemas
- Subscription services: Foxtel, Netflix, Stan, Hello Fresh, Spotify, Stan
- Communications: Telstra, Optus
- Charities: Australian Red Cross
- Payment platforms: PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay
Where can I use Amex for day-to-day purchases and miscellaneous items?
- Food & drink: McDonald’s, Starbucks, Nando’s, Grill’d, TheFork, Merivale, Starbucks, Grill’d, Deliveroo, Menulog, Uber Eats
- Miscellaneous: Uber, 7-Eleven, NewsLink, Priceline Pharmacy, Chemist Warehouse
How do I maximise points earn with American Express cards?
A wise strategy is to choose an American Express card with a large sign-up bonus, use that card where you can, and pair it with a Visa or Mastercard to use where Amex is not accepted.
Due to restrictive bonus points eligibility rules for American Express-issued cards, you should choose the first one you hold carefully so you can earn a big sign-up bonus.
Then you could always add on another American Express-issued card like the Platinum Edge, on which you will not earn the sign-up bonus but is great for buying groceries and fuel.
Summing up
Question: Just how widely are American Express cards accepted?
Answer: Probably more than you originally thought! American Express cards can be used for a large chunk of your expenditure on groceries, regular bills, travel, entertainment and clothes.
Given the wide range of merchants that accept Amex as a payment method, you shouldn’t have too much trouble meeting minimum spend requirements and/or maximising your ongoing points-earning potential.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, Woolworths supermarkets in Australia accept American Express cards for payment.
Yes, Bunnings hardware stores in Australia allow American Express cards as a form of payment.
No, Aldi supermarkets in Australia do not accept American Express cards for payment.
Yes, you can certainly pay for your Portuguese grilled chicken with an American Express card.
Yes, your next fix of crispy ‘Hot and Spicy’ chicken from KFC can be paid for with an American Express cad.
This article was originally written by Matt Moffitt.
They are a Brisbane based company, and so far the app etc has been really easy to use.
GLTA …
Cheers
Your breakeven point or the maximum you would be willing to pay for an American Express point depends on how much value you place on an American Express point.
The following guide may assist you in calculating this value: https://www.pointhacks.com.au/rewards-points-valuations/
Also in Australia there is always a surcharge of around 3% if trying to pay Strata Fees or Council Fees. You definitely need a backup card with Mastercard seeming to be accepted everywhere.
How many retail outlets accept AMEX
plz reply
Just don’t take a Westpac one! – they take ages to pay the bonus join points – mine approved 31 May 2017, bonus points paid into QF account on 26 Feb 2018!! QF Amex Ultimate- approved 22 May 2018, points in my account 15 May 2018. HSBC Visa approved 18 April 2018, points in 16 May 2018. Bit of a difference! (needless to say I am not with Westpac anymore)
In this day, and age I find it agitating when a reputable business wants to slug me 3% or more for an AMEX transaction, when even a micro business at a craft market can go and get a Square Payments reader and pay a flat fee of less than 2% across all Visa, MC and AMEX cards.
It makes you wonder what poor deal the others have with their bank, or are they just taking us for fools and ripping us off?
AMEX itself has some great tools and offers to help you find businesses that accept them, my favorite was the shop small campaign.
Approximately 50% of my electronic transactions are made using AMEX compared to Mastercard. I could do more but I try to avoid the additional AMEX surcharge that some retailers charge.
I think the only instances where I have been surprised about the lack of an AMEX payment option has been with AMP and IGA.
My university doesn’t accept AMEX but I find this less surprising.
I don’t use AMEX for overseas purchases because my Mastercard doesn’t charge international fees.
If you make charitable donations, many Australian charities accept Paypal or AMEX. So this is a handy way to reach your spending target.
PayPal is also accepted by eBay and lots of other (non-government) places, where payments continue to earn the full amount of points.
The places you’re going to really feel the inconvenience are with your small local regulars. My bakery doesn’t accept AMEX for instance. Lots of coffee places don’t accept AMEX.
Some of my local places that I like to go for lunch don’t accept AMEX, but I have a work around for that. Apps like, Eat Now, and, Hey You, do accept AMEX even though some of the retailers themselves might not. So I use those apps for payment. There will be a surcharge though.
I find that since I have an AMEX card I gravitate to places that do accept it. You’re local coffee place doesn’t accept it? Fine go somewhere that does.
With respect to making the minimum purchase to get the bonus points, you might consider coinciding your card sign up with some sort of big purchase you might be having: A trip, some large homeware items, big tech purchase, what ever that might be for you.